City of Greater Dandenong is committed to ensuring public safety during mass gatherings. Council, through its Municipal Building Surveyor, has a duty to enforce the requirement of occupancy permits for places of public entertainment (POPE) are in place.
Please ensure you read the information below to understand the legal requirements if you are hosting public entertainment in a building or on other lands. A court penalty can apply where a person or company conducts entertainment without a relevant permit.
Council recognises that the legislation is not widely known and has set in place an administration program to inform and assist owners and proprietors of places of public entertainment to meet their obligations via the following steps:
- Event organisers and building owners (or their agents) need to apply to the Municipal Building Surveyor for a place of public entertainment permit (POPE)
- Application fees will be calculated on a individual basis
- The Building Department can provide general advice and assistance to applicants
If you have any questions or need assistance please contact Council.
Public entertainment occupancy permit application form - 144KB
Public entertainment in buildings
The Building Act requires that an occupancy permit for a place of public entertainment must be in existence where a meeting or entertainment is conducted in a venue over 500m2 in floor area. This requirement applies to buildings regardless of age or existing permits/certificates and prescribed temporary structures.
City of Greater Dandenong, under its general fire safety audit program for existing buildings, acknowledges the importance of safe and suitable occupation within buildings used as places of public entertainment and all known places of public entertainment will be inspected for general fire safety.
Public entertainment in other places
The Building Act requires that an occupancy permit for a place of public entertainment must be in existence on land:
- Which is enclosed or substantially enclosed, or to which admission can be gained by payment of money or the giving of other consideration; and that is used or intended to be used for the purpose of providing public entertainment
Community Based Organisation Exemption
- If the place is used for the purposes of conducting an event or activity which is organised and controlled by a community-based organisation; and the number of persons in the place at any one time during the event or activity does not exceed 5,000 the event is not considered a prescribed class of place.
